Performing Arts Weekly: June 22-28, 2017

Summit Players Theatre present The Comedy of Errors at various state parks across Wisconsin this summer

THEATER:

The Comedy of Errors

One of William Shakespeare’s earliest, snappiest and
nuttiest plays, The Comedy of Errors
is pretty much the classic tale of
mistaken identity; its plot involves not one but two pairs of identical twins
that have been separated at birth. Such an absurd setup is surely ripe for the
stage; in fact, over the centuries since it debuted, The Comedy of Errors has been seen not merely in its original form
but through operatic, musical theater and feature film adaptations.

No surprise, then, that Summit Players Theatre—founded three
years ago by Marquette Theatre students on a mission to prove that Shakespeare
is not boring—chose The Comedy of Errors to
present at many a Wisconsin outdoor venue throughout June and July. Think of it
as a “Shakespeare in the State Park” theater series. Their free outdoor
performances began June 17 at the Bong Recreation Area and June 18 at Kettle
Moraine’s Ottawa Lake area. Performances continue through July 30 around the
state.

June 23 at Havenwoods
State Forest; June 24 at Devil’s Lake State Park; June 25 at Blue Mound State
Park; and at various other venues throughout Wisconsin. For a full schedule,
call 414-803-3984 or visit summitplayerstheatre.com.

Twelfth Night

Viola and Sebastian find themselves embroiled in one of
William Shakespeare’s archetypally convoluted plots in Twelfth Night. They are separated twins who, each believing the
other is dead, become entangled in a love quadrangle involving plenty of
mistaken identity. Viola has been romantically pursued by a countess (thinking
her a young man named Cesario), while Viola herself is smitten with Duke
Orsino—who is in love with the countess… When Sebastian turns up, the countess
believes him to be Cesario and finds him irresistible. Door Shakespeare
presents Twelfth Night, directed by
Joseph Hanreddy, with many performances running June through August. It shares
the stage at the lovely Björklunden garden estate at Lawrence University on an
alternating schedule with David Farr’s classic family tale The Heart of Robin Hood starting in July.

Twelfth Night runs
June 29-Aug. 18; The Heart of Robin Hood
runs July 6-Aug. 19. All productions take place in the garden at Björklunden, 7590 Boynton Lane, Baileys Harbor.
For tickets, call 920-839-1500 or visit doorshakespeare.com/box-office.

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John Jahn is a graduate of UW-Milwaukee and resident of Riverwest. He writes and edits for the Shepherd Express and has edited several books. John was A&E Editor for the Milwaukee-based LGBTQ weekly, The Wisconsin Light, throughout the 1990s.

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